I travelled out to Wenatchee in late February to photograph Trust of Public Land Community Hero Teresa Bendito. Teresa is a community organizer and co‐founder of Parque Padrinos, a grassroots community organization that leads park advocacy, relationship building, and culturally relevant outdoor experiences in South Wenatchee, Washington.  Read more about Teresa's work with TPL here.

Here's a cute behind the scenes peek from the afternoon by HMU extraordinaire Jamyrlyn Mallory.

Poet Alexandra Lytton Regalado for The Los Angeles Times

In true PNW form, we experienced every single micro climate in our short time together-- rain, hail, wind and sun. Read Christopher Soto's story on how the Salvadorean diaspora became a literary juggernaut here.

Lisa Hallett, founder of Wear Blue: Run to Remember for AARP

Lisa Hallett is the founder of Wear Blue: Run to Remember, an organization that honors the service and sacrifice of those that died in combat by active remembrance. Lisa’s husband, Captain John L. Hallett was killed in 2009 when an improvised explosive device struck his vehicle in southern Afghanistan.

Around six months after John’s death, Lisa and a small group of military spouses at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state decided to put on their partners’ blue physical training shirts. They met in a Burger King parking lot and ran around the airfield. The next time they gathered, they spoke the names of each fallen soldier and said a prayer before they started. There, the movement was born that would evolve into Lisa’s nonprofit, Wear Blue: Run to Remember. Read more about the organization here.

For Adweek's March cover story on the new consumer, the team and I headed up to Google's Kirkland HQ to meet Global Head of Brand Accessibility, KR Liu.

 

The shoot took place during Seattle's cold snap a little earlier this year and saw us setting up backdrops and lights outside the building in 25 degree weather (long story short, a COI almost didn't go through). Luckily, we were able to shift indoors and wrap things up in decidedly toastier conditions. 

Here's my assistant, Adam Gatdula, being a complete and total champ about it. What a pro.

A bit of new work for the Mayo Clinic Alumni Magazine with the very sweet Mazwi family, who toughed it out in the January rain with us. Dr. Bay Leslie-Mazwi and Dr. Nicole Mazwi are distinguished neurologists at UW Medicine who began their journey at Mayo Clinic. We spent two consecutive afternoons around the UW and West Seattle for the story. 

 

I know what your question is and yes-- I totally paid an orca $20 to jump out of the water in that last frame.

Fun fact! I interned at KEXP back in college. It was wonderful getting to visit the old stomping grounds for Buzzfeed News alongside writer Theresa Tamkins for this story on the connections between music and mental health. Read more here.

For Annie Midori Atherton's story on the myriad reasons families take in roommates, I spent a morning with Leanne Do and husband Nathan Friend, who have had a rotating cast of roommates at their home in North Seattle in the last decade. Read more here.

New Directing Work for BECU 

 

 

Lofty Ambitions

The Night Shift

Vignettes from an anamorphic lens test (I bought it!) around the International District on a rainy night last week. 

 

I am expanding my editorial work to incorporate video. Interviews, b-roll, moving pictures-- anything to enrich the story, let's make it happen.

You made it this far! Here's a playlist I made just for you 🎶